Mobile subscription rates to surge

Mobile subscription numbers are set to overtake global population levels in 2013, a process driven by the rising uptake of smartphones and growth in emerging markets, a study has argued.

Ericsson, the telecoms group, stated there are now 6.4bn mobile subscriptions, a figure due to hit 9.3bn in 2018. Within this, there should be 7.5bn subscriptions by the end of 2013, when the United Nations expects the worldwide population to be 7bn.

Smartphones were pegged to see a lift from 1.1bn to 3.3bn from 2012 to 2018. Ericsson said: "Around 15% of the worldwide installed base of mobile phone subscriptions uses smartphones, which means that there is considerable room for further uptake."

"In 2018 almost all handsets in Western Europe and North America will be smartphones, compared with only around one third of handsets for Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific."

Mobile PCs, tablets and mobile routers were also anticipated to witness growth from 250m to 850m units, while mobile broadband subscriptions will increase from 1.5bn to 6.5bn.
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